Rotary brush construction and mounting therefor



March 2, 1954 J. B. DANIELL 2,670,486

ROTARY BRUSH CONSTRUCTION AND MOUNTING THEREFOR Filed Aug. 4, 1950III/1, 11

JOHN E. URN/ELL,

INVEN TOR.

qrraeA/H .wound-in-wire type Patented Mar. 2, 1954 ROTARYBRUSHCONSTRUCTION AND MOUNTING THEREFOR John B.v.Daniell, -Santa Monica,Calif., assignor .of {one-third ,to Edward A. .Bodine, Santa Monica,Calif.

Application August-4, 1950, Serial No. 17 '7,'617

6 'jClaims. i

This invention relates to improvements .in

sweeping apparatus, and has foran object the provision of animprovedconstruction of rotary brush of the typecommonly employed in sweeprfiedand inexpensive construction. .A nore ,de-

tailed object in this connection is to provide a rotary brushwhich,-instead of being .of the rigid core type commonlyemployedmechanical sweepers, is a much less expensivestype, wherein -1theradially extending bristles are .engaged between two strandsiof twisted.wire.

A further object in the same connection, is .to provide a novel type-ofmountingforthe of brush hereinabove referred to,-which holds therelatively flexible twisted wire-core of thebrush in suifioient tensionto impart ample rigidity thereto sorthat it can resist anytendencytoward flexing fullyas well as though it were of the more expensiverigid 1 core type of rotary brush.

The invention possesses other.- objects and features of advantage,someof which,.with the fore.- going, will beset forthinthefollowingqdescriptionof the preferred form of-myinvention which isillustrated in'thedrawings@accompanyingand forming part ,of "thespecification. It istolb understood that I do not limit myself-to. theshowing made-by the said drawings and description, ,as I may adoptvariations of thepreferred form within the scope of my .invention assetforth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view ofarcylindrical Portions of Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectionalview'taken upon the line .2-2-of Figure land the directionofviewbythearrows.

Figure -3 is'a detail view .inen-larged transverse section, taken uponthe line 3-31of Figure 2.

Figure 4 .is an enlarged .detail view taken in transverse sectionuponthe line 4-+4;of;Figurej1, with the'direction of viewas indicated.

specifically describing a preferred sembodn .rnent 'of "my invention,the .rotar-y vbrush and rotate with respect thereto.

mounting therefor which have been chosen for illustration anddescription herein, has been designed primarily for use in a sweepingdevice adapted to be-releasably attached to a conventional lawn mower.It is to be understoodhowever, thatbrushes and mountings thereforincorporating the principles of my present invention areadapted to othertypes of sweeping or brushing apparatus, and that its installation as aportion of a sweeping attachment for a lawn mower is described andillustrated herein in an exemplary, rather than in .a limiting sense.

A lawnmower sweeper attachment which advantageously incorporates myimproved brush and mountingas animportant operativefeature thereofcomprises achassis indicated in its entirety at .6 in the form of apairof spacedrparallel, longitudinallyextending members I rigidlyinterconnected by a transversely extending front bar 8 which is weldedor otherwise rigidly secured to .the forwardend of the members 1. Aft ofthe front bar Band preferably intermediate the ends of the longitudinalmembers his a 'bracingostrip .9 rigidly secured at each end to one ofthe longitudinal members i.

vAn axle-shaft vI l alsoextends transversely of the chassis 5, beingrevolubly journaled in the two longitudinalmembers so that itis free toUpon the end of the axle ll .outsidethechassis 6 wheels l2 are securedto the shaft ll so that the shaft and wheels 12 all rotate. together asa unit. The two wheels l2 supportthe, after end of the chassis 6;whereas, the forward end of the chassis is supported upon a suitablesupporting and operating vehicle for which the sweeping attachmentconstitutes an accessory.

Preferably, the sweeping attachment is designed forusein connection witha conventional lawnmower l 6, not for the purpose of sweeping upthegrasscuttingsas the lawn mower is used in cutting grass, but toperform a sweeping op- .eration independently of the act ofv cuttingwhich .thelawn mower I6 is relied upon to perform when used inaccordance with conventional practice. l7he accessory attaches with itsforward or leadingend attached ,to that end of the lawn mower which isusually considered its front end with the result that for the sweepingattachment to advance forwardly the lawn mower it shall be pushed inwhat is normally considered itsbackward direction of movement, or itsfree wheeling arrangementin whichlthe rotor H carrying the cutter bladesLB remains motionless although the supporting wheels IQ of the lawnmower rotate so as to provide the rolling support for the lawn mower asit advances. It is apparent, therefore, that the lawn mower it servesmerely as a convenient support and means for propelling the sweepingattachment.

With this object in view, the means for attaching the sweepingattachment to the lawn mower comprises a pair of brackets 2|, one ofwhich is rigidly mounted upon the chassis 6 adjacent each side thereofand preferably with the vertical front piece 22 of each bracket 2isubstantially in the plane of the forward edge of the front bar 8. Eachbracket 2! carries a hook 23 adjustably secured thereto as by a pair ofmachine screws 24, and both hooks are adapted to engage over and aroundthe bar 26 which constitutes a portion of the frame of the lawn mowerl6, extending transversely thereacross at substantially the front of thelawn mower. Convenient, manually operable means are provided for lockingthe hooks 93 in their position of so engaging the front bar 25 of thelawn mower, the

means here chosen for illustration comprising a bracket 21 extendingvertically in front of the front bar 8 of the sweepers chassis 6, towhich it is pivotally secured by means of a machine screw or rivet 21aextending vertically through a horizontal flange or foot 28 extendinghorizontally from the lower end of the vertical bracket 21, and alsothrough the front bar 8 of the chassis 6, with the result that thebracket 2! is pivotally mounted upon the front bar 8 for movement abouta vertical axis. Consequently, a piece of angle iron 29 having oneflange mounted for vertical adjustment upon the forward face of thebracket 21 provides, through the expedient of its other flange 3!, afinger or detent which can be engaged below the front bar 26 of the lawnmower so as to prevent accidental displacement of the hooks 23therefrom. A handle 32 on the upper end of the bracket 2'! makes itconvenient to shift the bracket and its locking detent 3! optionally toits locking position in which it is illustrated in Figure l, or to itswithdrawn position, swung about the axis of the pin 21a, in whichposition of the bracket 21 the hooks 23 can readily be lifted from theirengagement with the bar 26 of the lawn mower. Hence, engagement anddisengagement of the chassis of the sweeper attachment from the lawnmower can readily be effected without the use of any tools.

Thus it may be seen that since the means for attaching the chassis ofthe sweeper attachment are located at the front edge thereof, and, sincethey are so designed that they are engageable with a transverse bar 25at the front of the lawn mower, their design and arrangement are suchthat when the sweeping attachment is secured to the lawn mower, thefront of the lawn mower engages the front of the sweeping attachment.

which carries the cutting blades I 8 and with a consequent reduction inthe amount of frictional resistance which must be overcome when the lawnmower is moved across a supporting surface.

As a further means for securing the sweeping attachment to the lawnmower there is provided another bracket 36 comprising a pair of spacedlegs 31 each of which inclines upwardly and forwardly from one of thelongitudinal members I of the chassis adjacent the after end thereof,and a transverse bar 38 rigid, and preferably integral with the two legs31 interconnecting their upper ends. Both legs 31 are preferably rigidlysecured to the chassis, and upwardly and rearwardly inclined braces 39are associated with the legs 3'! in order to increase the strength andrigidity of the bracket 36. The handle 4| of the lawn mower is adaptedto be brought to rest upon the upper surface of the transverse bar 38 ofthe bracket 36 when the handle 4| is swung to that position in which itcan easily be used to push the lawn fmower I 6 in its free wheelingposition, i. e., with the lawn mower running backward. In mostconventional lawn mowers, a shoulder, pin or other suitable type ofabutment 42 is provided upon the frame of the lawn mower adjacent thepoint of pivotal connection of the handle 4! thereto, so arranged thatwhen the handle is swun to this so-called free-wheeling position thelawn mower is tipped in such a manner as to raise the idler roller 43 atthe back of the lawn mower, thus lifting the idler roller 43 from itscontact with the supporting surface and further decreasing the frictioncoincident to moving the lawn mower from place to place without actuallyoperating the grass cutting portion thereof.

Above the rigid cross-bar 38 of the bracket 36, there is provided atransversely extending clamping bar 5|, one end of which is pivoted tothe rigid 'bar 38 adjacent the corresponding end thereof by beingengaged between the two spaced flanges 52 of a clip 53 suitably mountedupon the upper face of the rigid bar 38. The other end of the clampingbar 5| is releasably attachable to the associated end of the rigid bar38 through the expedient of a bolt 54 and nut 56 (preferably a wingnut), the former extending through a slot (not shown) in the end of theclamping bar 51. As best shown in Figure 3, the bolt 54 extends upwardsfrom a clevis 5T pivotally mounted as by a pin 58 upon the upper end ofan eye bolt 59 which extends downwards through the rigid bar 38 to whichit is adjustably secured as by a pair of clamping nuts SI and 62 whichthus make it possible to adjust the height at which the bolt 59 supportsthe associated end of the clamping bar 5| when the wing nut is tightenedtime against. Preferably, the bolt which supports the clip 53 at theother end of the clamping bar Si is similarly adjustably mounted, thusmaking it possible to adjust the height of the clamping bar 5! and stillpreserve its parallel relationship to the rigid bar 38.

In order to adapt the sweeping attachment for use in conjunction with awide variety of different styles of lawn mowers, the handles 4| of whichare of various widths at those portions thereof which the bracket 31 andthe clamping bar 51 engage, the effective width of the rigid bar and theclamping bar 5! is increased by providing an outwardly flared portion 66at the upper end of each of the rigid legs 31. This increases the dis-'tance between ends of the two outwardly flared portions G6 as comparedwith the distance between the straight portions of the legs 3'1. Thismakes it possible to provide the rigid bar 38 of the bracket 36considerably longer and, similarly, to increase the thickness of theclamping bar 5i.

A substantially U-shaped frame ll is pivotally mounted upon the chassis5, this frame H coma combined radial and thrust bearing.

circling the rod 82.

prising two-*spaced parallel legs 12, cachet-which is pivoted adjacentan end thereof upon the axle shaft I' I, anda transverselyextending-portion t3 rigid and preferably integral with the legs '52interconnects them at their other ends. A rotary brush it is iournaledfor rotation upon a transverse axis, between the two legs I2 of theframe "II; and it is with the construction and mounting of this brush Mthat the present invention is concerned.

In its preferred form, this brush 14- comprises a core 15 of twistedwires "ll, and bristles'ifi secured to the core 'I B'by being engagedmidway between the ends of the bristles between the wires I1. This typeofbrush known as the wound in wire" type is considerably less expensivethan one constructed with a wood or other rigid core; "and' I have madeit feasible to employ a brush of this type with a relatively flexiblecore by providing a type of mounting therefor which imposes its core '35to sufiiicent tension to keep the core perfectly straight under allcircumstances of .normal'use. .Each end of the core '56 is rigidlysecured in alsocket as in the inner end of a rod "or tube 82which-extends through an anti-fric tion'bearing 83 of the type commonlyknown as This bearing comprises an annular housing 8d the inner edge ofwhich bears'against the outer face of one of the legs 52 of the frame I!and con tains a recess '86 within which a plurality of ball "bearings8'! are mounted in position en- The outer edge 23 of the housing as isinturned to embrace not only the ball bearings st but also a relativelysmall annuilar .race 89 which engages the ball bearings 31 on thosefaces thereof which are remote from the associated legs 12-0: thesupporting frame '5 I.

ing such a bearing at each end of the spindle or core E6 of the brush Mwith theirtwo springs 9| working in opposition to each other, the coreIE will be subjected to tension the magnitude of whic his determinedby'the design of the springs 9i and the adjustment of the "collars 92'upon their respective rods '82.

Preferably, the "outer 'end'of one of the rods 82 is supportedbyanauxiliary bracket '96 mounted on the associated leg '52; and outsidethis bracket that same rod 82 is provided with J a driven sprocket 1engaged by a chain 33 which also engages a driving sprocket 99 rigidwith one of the wheels I2 of the sweeping attachment. Since thepreferred arrangement in this connection is to make both wheels 52 rigidwith an axle shaft I I, the sprocket 35 may merely be attached to theaxle shaft and the surety with which the brush M will be rotated isincreased by the fact that both wheels I2 contribute to the force, causing the axle shaft I I to rotate.

The weight of the frame 7! and the brush It and other parts carriedthereby is supported by means of a telescopic bracket is? consisting ofa rigid portion Hi2 secured to the bracket 36 and extending afttherefrom and downwardly in an arc the center of which lies within theaxis of the axle shaft H. The other portion sea of the supportingbracket IilI extends upwardly and forwardly in a similar arc from thetransverse bar I3 of the pivotally mounted, brush carrying 6 frame II.The two partstsrand ills of the bracket IBI slidably engage eachotherandxare adapted to be locked in selected position-of ads justmentbymeans of a wing: nut l iE-A threaded upon a. bolt Iflli'extendingthrough a .hole in one of the parts, say the part i132, and. through anelongated slot Fill? in the other part H13. Hence, by loosening the wingnut ted, the 'ef 'fective height of the brush Is-with respect to thesurface m8 over which-the device isb'eingmoved,

can be adjusted, thus making it possible to resulate the force withwhich the bristles l4 engage that surface or the distance wherebythey-clear the surface, as determined by the characterof the surfaceHill being swept and/or by thecharacter of the material to be removedfrom-*that surface.

Means are provided for releasablymounting a conventionalgrass catcher H6upon the-sweeping attachment in position behind the brush 14 to receivesweepingstherefrom, and also for of the connection between the bracketIl I' and the chassis, the bracketis adapted to rest of its own weightupon a supporting surface it and thus be dragged along behind the brush3M as the sweeping attachment is advanced over the surface I08. A hookIZla is rigidly mounted upon the bar N8 of the'bracket'adjacent each endthereof; and since'the two hooks'IZ la; are in alignment with each otherand since they open upwardly they are adapted to receive the e posedwire or rod I'ZZcommonly provided at the forward edge of the bottom I23-of aconventional grass catcher H6 as best illustratediinFigure 1.

Also secure to the transverse bar N8 of the bracket II.'I as by a pianohinge I2i,gis -a..guide plate I26. Since the axis .of the hinge-ta lisadjacent the'forwa-rd edge of the transversebar plate 126- permits itsafter edge .to be. lifted before "the grass. catcher IIIG isengaged.upon the hooks and thereafter to belowered again so that the after edgeof the guide plate rests on the upper surface of the grass catchersbottom I23, thus providing ample assurance that all of the materialswept toward the grass catcher H6 by the rotary brush it will enter thegrass catcher rather than escape between the chassis and the forwardedge of the grass catchers bottom I23. As a further assistance inguiding the swept material into the catcher H5, there is provided adeflector plate i3! rigid with and extending aft from the transverse barI3 of the pivotally mounted, brush carrying frame 1!. As clearly shownin Figure 2, this deflector plate MI is situated above the pathtraversed by material swept by the brush I4; and consequently it servesto intercept any such swept material from traversing a path so high thatit would escape over the top of the back wall of the grass catcher I I5.Consequently, it serves to protect the clothing and face of the operatorfrom swept material which otherwise might be the source of muchinconvenience and discomfort.

I claim:

1. In a sweeping device, a chassis, a rotary brush comprising a flexiblecore and a plurality of bristles extending therefrom, and means forrevolubly mounting said brush upon said chassis and for imposing tensionupon said core comprising a rod afiixed to an end of said flexible core,and extending through a portion of said chassis, a collar secured tosaid rod and spaced outwardly from the outer face of said portion ofsaid chassis, anti-friction means encircling said rod adjacent saidouter face of said portion of said chassis, and resilient means undercompression between said collar and said anti-friction means.

2. In a sweeping device, a chassis, a rotary brush comprising a flexiblecore and a plurality of bristles extending therefrom, and means forrevolubly mounting said brush upon said chassis and for imposing tensionupon said core comprising a rod affixed to an end of said flexible coreand extending through a portion of said chassis, a collar secured tosaid rod and spaced outwardly from the outer face of said portion ofsaid chassis, and anti-friction means under compression between saidcollar and said outer face of said portion of said chassis.

3. In a sweeping device, a chassis, a rotary brush comprising a flexiblecore and a plurality of bristles extending therefrom, and means forrevolubly mounting said brush upon said chassis and for imposing tensionupon said core comprising a bearing housing engaging an outer face of aportion or" said chassis, anti-friction means confined within saidhousing, a rod affixed to an end of said flexible core and extendingthrough a clearance hole in said portion of said chassis, a collarcarried by said rod beyond said antifriction means from said chassis, abearing race confined within said housing and in engagement with saidanti-friction means, and a coil spring encircling said rod and undercompression between said collar and said race.

4. In a sweeping device, a chassis, a rotary brush comprising aplurality of flexible wires twisted spirally together and a plurality ofbristles extending therefrom, and means for revolubly mounting saidbrush upon said chassis and for imposing tension upon said wirescomprising a bearing housing engaging an outer face of a portion of saidchassis, anti-friction means confined within said housing, a rod affixedto an end of said wires and extending through a clearance hole in saidportion of said chassis, a collar carried by said rod beyond saidanti-friction means from said chassis, a bearing race confined withinsaid housing and in engagement with said anti-friction means, and a coilspring encircling said rod and under compression between said collar andsaid race.

5. In a sweeping device, a chassis, a rotary brush comprising a flexiblecore and a plurality of bristles extending therefrom, and means forrevolubly mounting said brush upon said chassis and for imposing tensionupon said core comprising means providing an axle shaft afi'ixed to anend of said flexible core and extending through a portion of saidchassis, a collar secured to said axle-providing means and spacedoutwardly from the outer face of said portion of said chassis,anti-friction means encircling said axle-providing means adjacent saidouter face of said portion of said chassis, and resilient means undercompression between said collar and said anti- Iriction means.

6, In a sweeping device, a chassis, a rotary brush comprising aplurality of flexible Wires twisted spirally together and a plurality ofbristles extending therefrom, and means for revolubly mounting saidbrush upon said chassis and for imposing tension upon said wirescomprising a bearing housing engaging an outer face of a portion of saidchassis, anti-friction means confined within said housing, meansproviding an axle-shaft affixed to an end of said wires and extendingthrough a clearance hole in said portion of said chassis, a collarcarried by said axleproviding means beyond said anti-friction means fromsaid chassis, a bearing race confined within said housing and inengagement with said antifriction means, and a spring under compressionbetween said collar and said race.

JOHN B. DANIELL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 555,944 Ferry Mar. 10, 1896 593,075 Barth Nov. 2, 1897 744,460Battle Nov. 17, 1903 998,544 Mosher July 18, 1911 1,002,728 Meyer Sept.5, 1911 1,205,162 Clements Nov. 21, 1916 1,439,832 Merrill Dec. 26, 19221,939,385 Burr Dec. 12, 1933 2,505,576 Reitan Apr. 25, 1950

